Comparison between hyaluronic acid and platelet-rich plasma, intra-articular infiltration in the treatment of gonarthrosis.
Cerza, F, Carnì, S, Carcangiu, A, Di Vavo, I, Schiavella, V, Pecora, A, De Biasia, G, and Ciuffreda, M 2012, ‘Comparison between hyaluronic acid and platelet-rich plasma, intra-articular infiltration in the treatment of gonarthrosis, The American Journal of Sports Medicine, vol. 40, no. 12, pp. 2822-2827.
Arthritis is not a singular disease, but a general way of referring to more than 100 joint-related diseases and conditions. It involves joint degeneration causing painful inflammation. Arthritis of the knee joints (known as gonarthrosis) is particularly common and is often treated by hyaluronic acid (HA) injections and surgery.
Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is an innovative treatment using the body’s natural healing process to accelerate and enhance healing. PRP is rich in naturally forming growth factors is the treatment of choice for muscle, tendon and joint injuries. PRP is derived from your own blood hence it is a safe form of treatment. PRP is an alternative to hyaluronic acid or drugs such as narcotic analgesic and cortisol.
This study, conducted in 2012, compared the clinical response of patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA) to HA and PRP injections. 60 patients received PRP injections; another 60 patients received HA injections. Treatment involved a series of four weekly injections into the affected knee. The patients’ knee pain, range of motion and function were measured before the injections, then 4, 12 and 24 weeks after the first injection.
PRP showed a significant improvement in knee condition at 4 weeks. This improvement continued gradually for the 24 weeks post treatment. HA caused a significant reduction in pain at 4 weeks, but then showed a sharp worsening, with several patients returning to pre-treatment baseline condition after 24 weeks. PRP was significantly better than HA at improving the condition of knees with grade I, II and III OA.
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Here at Surecell, we have treated many cases of arthritis and degenerative musculoskeletal injuries that could have been avoided by better choice of exercise and a healthy lifestyle.
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